"I am reinstating the 'old-style quasi military' style of policing'" he said while standing outside Police Headquarters in his own shiny black shoes.

"It's about perception," he added. Saying the look makes cops more visible and commands "more respect."

Amy Sara Clark / Hoboken NowOfficer Nicholas Burke shows off the Hoboken Police Department's new (old) coat.If the coats look kind of retro, that's because they are. They've been
part of the uniform for decades, but about 15 years ago cops were given the
option of wearing nylon "Blauer" coats instead, which some officers
found more comfortable, Falco said.

But officers had them in a variety of styles and the department lacked uniformity. Since most cops already had the walking coat wasting away in their lockers, reinstating the coat was also the most economical way to reestablish a uniform uniform, Falco said.

Officers were given notice of the change in June. They began wearing the coat Nov. 1.

"Initially there was some rumblings with reference to comfort," when the edict came down last June that the Blauer was out and the walking coat back in," said Captain Jame Fitzsimmons.